Mark 11:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples,"

The name "Bethphage" means "the house of figs", while the name "Bethany" interpreted from the Hebrew means " the house of dates, or misery". These small towns are on the outskirts of Jerusalem. So when you are standing on the Mount of Olives, and looking directly to the west across the brook of Kedron, you would be looking right into the east gate of the Temple. You would be just shy of one mile from the outer wall of the temple. From this point on in the life of Jesus, and in this book of Mark, most of what Jesus will teach his disciples and say to us will be spoken from this location.

There is a reason for His using the Mount of Olives, for olive oil is the oil of our people. It is the oil that God directed us to anoint ourselves and our homes with. We are to anoint the sick when we pray over them, and it applies to us in the New Testament, as much as it did in the time of the Old Testament.

It is the oil that the ten virgins were to have in their reservoir as they waited for the midnight hour and the coming of the bridegroom. The olive oil is symbolic for the truth of God's Word, and when we use olive oil, it represents our obedience to God and to His Word. When we honor God in this matter, He will honor our prayers and requests to Him.

Even the two witnesses of the last generation, of the end times, are called the sons of oil, the sons of the truth from God's Word.

Revelation 11:3 "And I will give power unto My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

Though these two witnesses witness for three and one half years (a thousand two hundred and threescore days), Revelation 11 deals mostly with the last three and one half days of this earth age. That is when Satan in the role of Antichrist rises in anger and kills these two witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem. That marks the last three and one half days before end of this earth age, and Jesus Christ return at the seventh trumpet.

Revelation 11:4 "These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth."

This was prophesied in Zechariah 4:3, 11, 14 where these two witnesses were identified as "olive trees", however in Revelation 2, and 3, the "candlesticks" are representing the two churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia. In the end times that we are living in today, we will see these two witnesses giving out the oil or truths of God's Word, and there will also be two of the seven types of churches that will know who these Kenites are, that they are the bad figs. They will be able to see through the Kenite lies and distortions. These two churches were selected by God because they could identify these Kenites, and the false doctrines that they were teaching.

Zechariah 4:11 "Then answered I, and said unto him, "What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and on the left side thereof?" The answer is given in the fourteenth verse. Zechariah wanted to know what the two olive trees were representing, and what the two candlesticks were.

Zechariah 4:14 "Then said he, "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

These witness that are anointed by God are on either side of the two churches [Smyrna and Philadelphia] that are teaching the truth, and giving out the oil necessary to bring us to the very end of this earth age.

Revelation 11:5 "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed."

So Jesus is standing here on the mount of Olives and looking across to the Temple with His disciples, Zechariah 14:4 tells us that this is the same location that Jesus' feet will touch when He returns at the second advent.

Zechariah 14:4 "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and have of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Mark 11:2 "And saith unto them, "Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him and bring him."

What is about to happen here that Jesus is giving directions to a disciple to do, is in fulfillment to prophesy. The "foal of an ass" is a young colt that has never by ridden before.

Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

Mark 11:3 "And if any man say unto you, `Why do ye this?' say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither."

Once you have identified what the ass will be used for, the man will give you the animal. Note that in every detail of the ministry of Christ, even to the detail leading to the crucifixion, and while on the cross, was prophesied well in advance of it happening. God is completely organized, and there is a teaching in the use of this colt. The lesson learned here is that in the first advent, Christ came humbly, as a servant, being just and having salvation. That salvation would only come through the sacrificing of His very life. In the first advent he came to bring salvation, just as John the Baptist would have been the fulfillment of Elijah's ministry.

In as much as John the Baptist was beheaded, and refused, then He did not fulfill the Elijah ministry; nor would Christ fulfill the bringing of the kingdom of God to this earth in His first advent. At this point in time the disciples had no doubt in their minds that the Messiah was here, for they witnessed all of the miracles that Christ had done, and they had seen the healing of the sick, casting out of the evil spirits, bring a dead to life, as well as His control over the wind and the seas.

Judas knew Jesus was the Christ, and thank God for our sakes that God's plan was perfect. If Jesus would not have gone to the cross and if this would have been the final advent, than you would not have had the opportunity to be born and have eternal life. Jesus is the Savior, and He brought salvation. Every soul that God created must have the opportunity to partake of that salvation, because of the overthrow in that first earth age.

Even though the people of Jerusalem did not know it at the time, Jesus is their King, He is always just, and He brought salvation with Him when He came in the flesh born as a baby. "Lowly" means "humble", and that is exactly as Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem at this time. Now in the tenth verse you have the second advent.

Zechariah 9:10 "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."

The "chariot from Ephraim" and the "horse from Jerusalem" are both war vehicles. This is the second advent at the seventh trumpet spoken of here, and Christ will bring salvation to the entire earth. When Jesus comes at the second advent He will come riding on a great white horse, with sword in hand, and with all his saints coming with Him.

Revelation 19:15 "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine press of fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

The first advent Jesus brings his humility even to the point of taking all the abuse, wicked insults and lies that these Kenites dream up against Him, all for the sake of our salvation. However, at the second advent, that sword is a sharp two-edged sword, that cuts right to the bottom of all sin and evil, and Jesus Christ, coming with his saints will smite all peoples on the face of the earth, and set up our Lord's Millennium kingdom right here on earth. That kingdom will be one of justice and strict discipline, and all those souls that are here for that Millennium age will be in their spiritual bodies, for all flesh will be done away with.

It will be a time that all souls will be living in another dimension. Remember when Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the mount of transfiguration, and there appeared Moses and Elijah with Him? Jesus flesh body was transformed into another dimension. In the second coming total peace will come to the entire earth, and Jesus will rule as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Mark 11:4 "And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place were two ways met; and they loose him."

The two ways that met where the colt was taken, were the law and the prophets. this is the start of Jesus' journey all the way to the cross.

Mark 11:5 "And certain of them that stood there said unto them, "What do ye loosing the colt?"

Naturally this was prearranged by God, listen to the words that this man asked of the disciple.

Mark 11:6 "And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go."

The man that had the colt knew exactly what must take place then, and he gave the colt for Jesus' journey into town.

Mark 11:7 "And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and He sat upon him."

This is Jesus grand entrance into the city of Jerusalem.

Mark 11:8 "And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way."

These are palm leaves and branches that the people laid before Christ as he entered into the city of Jerusalem. This entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem came the Sunday just before Passover, for the events of the week will take us right up to the evening of Wednesday, the sacred feast day of Passover. Christ would be laid in the tomb prior to sundown on Wednesday, for the Jewish day started at sundown on the prior day. Jesus would have to come out of the tomb three days later, by sundown on Saturday.

Mark 11:9 "And they that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, "Hosanna; Blessed is He That cometh in the name of the Lord:"

"Hosanna" in the Hebrew means "save us Now". This is taken from Psalms 118:25, 26.

Psalms 118:25 "Save now I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity."

Psalms 118:26 "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord."

This is the Psalm that is sung at Passover, and it is part of the Passover celebration. It is at this first coming that Christ, the lowly one, riding on this small colt would become the sacrificial Lamb. Passover is a high Sabbath, and Christ Himself was that sacrificial Lamb.

Mark 11:10 "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." "

These Jews from Jerusalem are calling out to Jesus as he is riding this ass into Jerusalem, and calling out to Him, Blessed be the kingdom of David. They recognize that Jesus is the promised "Son of David", and they are calling out to Jesus to "save us now." This event came to pass exactly as it was prophesied. This prophecy was carried forward from Daniel 9, to the exact year and day that the Messiah would come.

The four short verses of Daniel 9:24-27 divides the ages of time into segments, then identifies the events and years of the two ages or segments of time dealing with the Jews. Lets take a close look at what God has told us through Daniel concerning these times.

Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."

These seventy (70) weeks are seventy weeks of years, or 490 years to the coming of Christ to where all these thing will come into being in the holy city and upon the God's people. It is four hundred and ninety years (490 years) until Jesus Christ comes to earth as the Messiah, to reign over all the people on the face of the earth. At the end of this seventy weeks of years period, seven thing would take place.

"To finish the transgression, to make an end of sin", as well as the other five things are the things that would not take place until Jesus Christ comes back at the seventh trumpet to reestablish His Millennium kingdom. So this is talking about seventy weeks of years from this command of Daniel's prophecy to the end of this age of the flesh age as we know it today. We know that each of these seven things still exist today, and this coming has not yet come to pass.

There are four different times when God gave commandment to His prophets to return to Jerusalem after the Jewish captivity in Babylon for those seventy years. These four times were; first, The command of Cyrus to return to rebuild the temple as written in II Chronicles 36:22, 23, and Ezra 1. This command was given in 539 B.C. by historical computation.

The second command was by Darius to advance the construction of the temple, as seen in Ezra 6:1. The date of this command was later, or about 518 or 519 B.C.

The third command was given by Artaxerxes to Ezra to purify the temple and reestablish the sacrifices and ordinances. This command is found in Ezra 4:17, and the command was given in 457 B.C.

This fourth command was given by Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem. He was to rebuild the city streets and walls, to make the city safe from the raids and plundering of their neighboring nations. This command is given in Nehemiah 2:1-9, and puts the date at 444 B.C. The date is established in verse one, and well known in history.

Nehemiah 2:1 "And it came to pass in the month Nissan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxas the king, that the wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been before time sad in his presence."

The command is given in verses eight and nine.

Nehemiah 2:8 "And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me."

Daniel 9:25 "And therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublous times."

This fourth command given to Nehemiah could be the only time that Daniel 9 is referring to, for it was the only command that was given to the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem itself. All the other were pertaining to the the temple and the reestablishing of ordinances within the temple.

There are two periods in these 25th and 26th verses, one for seven weeks, and one for three score and two weeks of years. The first period was to the time of the building of the streets and walls of Jerusalem, and it is an historical fact that it took 49 years for this to take place. The second period was for the Messiah to be cut off.

Daniel 9:26 "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

When we consider the time span from 444 B.C., and deduct for fact of one year between 2 B.C., and 1 A.D., we have a total of 476 solar years. That is 173,855 days. The Jewish calendar years has 360 days and would show 483 for the same time frame of solar years. (360 + 483 years equals 173,880 Jewish calendar days.)

When we consider the actual date of the commandment put onto our solar calendar, it would be March 5, of the year 444 B. C. Then if we added back the twenty five days difference between the two calendars, to the solar calendar, we find it to be March 30, 33 A.D., This exact date that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, with the multitude surrounding Him, "cried saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." The Jewish people were claiming Jesus to be the Messiah, and asking for him to "save us now" ["hosanna"].

Then in the middle of this 26th verse, Daniel jumps two thousand years later, all the way to the time of the end, and the time when Satan will fulfill his role as the Antichrist, the "instead of Christ" it is the time of the sixth trumpet, when Satan will come and flood the entire world with his lies. Though Daniel prophesied that this final period to be seven years, Jesus later shortened that period for the elect's sake to a five months period of time.

There is a large gap in this prophecy of Daniel's seventy weeks of years period and it falls between the sixty ninth week and the seventh week. That is the period that we are in now, and that period is coming to a close. It is half way through this final week [70th week] that Satan is cast out of heaven onto the earth, and that three and one half years has been shortened for the elect's sake.

Matthew 24:22 "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." We know those days were shortened to a five months period of time."

Revelation 9:5 "And it them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man."

Those not of the elect and that are not sealed in their mind with the truth of God's Word will be tormented [deceived] by Satan and his fallen angels in the same manner that a scorpion does when he strikes a man. When a scorpion striketh a man, it leaves him unable to defend himself spiritually, and he become completely deceived and given over to the destroyer, who is Satan.

The thing that makes these four verses of Daniel 9:24-27 so important to Christians, and to Bible prophecy is that it identifies the times of the Jews separate from the age of the Church. These periods of time gives us a definite time frame for the Christians and for the Jews.

This Bible prophecy stated to the exact time that Jesus would pay the price. It was given where the "two ways meet", where the prophets and the law foretold, and Christ would be that fulfillment of the law. Jesus made it possible for "hosanna", for you and I "to be saved now".

Mark 11:11 "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve."

In another verse it states that Jesus looked angrily around the temple before he departed. This was the close of the day, and all the business activity had closed up for the day, and Jesus could see the remains of their activity scattered around His temple. The money changers, and the filthy mite infested doves in their cages waiting to be sold for sacrifices, that turned this house of God into a commercial center. God House of prayer became their quick shop on the corner, so to speak. The place to pick up a little something to offer to the Lord on the way to church. In giving these mite infested birds, they did not give the best of their flock, the best and first fruits that they had, but a cheep substitute. It is disgraceful and no wonder Jesus was angry when He observed what was going on. The same thing that was going on in the temple of Jesus day, is going on in the church houses of today, wake up.

Mark 11:12 "And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, He was hungry:"

This takes place on the next day, on the Monday of the week, and Jesus and His disciples left Bethany again. We are now going into another lesson, and it is important that we understand it.

Mark 11:13 "And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon, (and when He came to it He found nothing but leaves); for the time of the figs was not yet."

In as much as Jesus is the Son of God, and He is the creator of all that is and moves on the earth: Of course Jesus knew the seasons, and the exact date that the figs come on the trees. So quite obviously Jesus is about to teach a lesson to His disciples. Jesus is making a point concerning the fig tree. Jesus is going to make an example of this fig tree to even us living today. Later Jesus will command us "to learn the parable of the fig tree" In the parable there are both good figs and there are bad figs as it is prophesied in Jeremiah 24.

Jeremiah 24:1 "The Lord shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon."

This parable deals with the time of the end, and God is showing Jeremiah this parable that shall take place. The parable starts out with two baskets of figs setting in front of the temple in Jerusalem, and in this parable the captivity has already taken place. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadrezzar has already taken God's people captive, and we know that the Babylon of the end times is Jerusalem, and it's king is Satan in his role as the Antichrist. This parable is given to let you and I know that this king of the end times, Satan, is coming. His identity is given in Revelations 9:11.

Revelation 9:11 "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." Then in Revelation 12:9 we are given other name of Satan, which all are given to show the roles that he shall play in deceiving mankind. "And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels."

We will see this king of Babylon, the devil, serpent, dragon or whatever other of his names he will be called by, in our generation. This parable of the fig tree is a simple story that will tell us exactly what will take place. It happens in Jerusalem and the two baskets of figs represent the good figs, those of brother Judah; and the bad figs, that of the Kenites. Notice here that the name "Jeconiah" is given, however we know him under the name "Jehoiachin" which means "one whom God appoints". "Jeconiah" on the other hand means "one whom God established". It is saying that it is God that put his people in captivity, and it is He also that will establish Satan in his role as deceiver, the Antichrist in the end times.

Jeremiah 24:2 "One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad."

When you go into horticulture of the figs, we are talking about goat figs here, the male tree. We know that this tree was set out in the year 1948 when only Judah returned to Jerusalem to establish that tiny nation of Israel. The tribe of Judah, the house of Judah went with the bad figs, or Kenites to reestablish the nation. Both baskets returned to set up this nation of Israel, "the very good figs, and the very naughty figs". These naughty figs are the Kenites, those people that the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia knew and understood exactly who they were. This is what the parable of the fig tree is all about. Knowing these Kenites for who they are, and what and how they spread their false doctrines. The parable of the fig tree has a direct recognizing to the city of Jerusalem and the people that are therein, to where Jesus is now about to make entry.

Mark 11:14 "And Jesus answered and said unto it, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." And His disciples heard it."

Jesus is talking here to the fig tree, the tree that had leaves but no fruit on it. Can't you see the disciples standing by and watching Jesus making this statement to the tree that is before them. I'm sure they are confused as to what is meant by all this. This is symbolic of the bad and naughty figs that would never produce fruit for Christ. If you do not understand the parable of the fig tree, then you will not understand the year that the shoot was set out that marked the beginning of the final generation of this earth age.

This goes way back to the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve used the fig leaves to cover their sin, and it was not from eating an apple. The sin was committed in the fig orchard, and they used fig leaves to cover that part of their bodies that committed the sin. The sin caused the birth of a race of people, through the blood line of Cain. Cain came from the sexual union between Satan the man, and Eve the woman. Cain was the first born of Satan, the first murderer, and the son of the father of lies. Jesus told these priest, scribes and Pharisees exactly who they were in John 8:44.

John 8:42 "Jesus said unto them, "If God wre your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me."

John 8:3 "Why do ye not understand My speech? even because ye cannot hear My word."

John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil [Satan], and the lusts of your father ye will do. He [Cain] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

These Pharisees and priest are from their father Satan, from that sinful act with Eve in the garden of Eden. The results of that act was the birth of their son, Cain. Adam took part at the same time in that act, and his son was righteous Abel, whom Cain murdered. Strong's Hebrew dictionary #7014 and # 7017 identifies the Kenites as the sons of Cain, the first child, and it identifies them as Orientals. In I Chronicles 2:55, these Kenites are not of the house of Israel or of Judah, but of the house of Rechab, a descendant of Cain. Are you starting to understand? The ones that faced Jesus and are plotting here to take his life are not of brother Judah, but these Kenites [the bad and naughty figs] are the offspring of Cain. They are the offspring of Cain that came from the sexual union between Satan and Eve. There is no truth in them because there was no truth in their father Cain, nor his father Satan.

This fig tree that Jesus has just cursed, that has leaves and does not bear fig fruit, represents the Kenites. The fig tree stand for something that is hidden, and these Kenites have hidden themselves amongst the good figs, the House of Judah. So this is a proverb dealing with the hiding of something, their identity, their motives and their methods. Again we are to learn the parable of the fig tree.

Never again with the fig tree bear fruit, because through Christ death on the cross, we have the power and the authority to prevent the bad figs from producing fruit in our presence. God gave us the power and the authority of Satan, his angels as well as his children here on earth, which are the Kenites. This is why Jesus warned us that we must learn this parable for it is what protects God's children from them. That is why we put on the gospel armor, especially in these final days, for it gives us the weapons to fight the spiritual battles with today.

Mark 11:15 "And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;"

When you understand what Jesus did here to those that would commercialize His house of prayer, then you look around at what is going on in the name of Christ in the church houses today, we see the exact same thing. The method that the Kenites use to pollute the house of God, are in hidden ways. By the mishandling of the manuscripts, but the adding and changing of God's Word to where what they teach will conform to their ways. This is the method that Satan used against Christ on the wilderness to tempt him, and it is the way that he will try to confuse and deceive you. Satan twisted the Scripture, he was a Scripture lawyer and he twisted the truth to where the true meanings are lost to all those that are biblical illiterate. To those that do not have the knowledge nor ability to seek out the true Words given by our Lord. It is the bad figs that have placed themselves into the places to by your interpreters of God's Word. Be careful my friend.

We should not feel that everything within God's Word has been twisted, for God has given us His elect These are the anointed ones that understand the Scriptures, and seek to make that truth know to all those that seek the truth. God's has provided a remnant in all generations that will always be able to forewarn His people concerning the truth of His Word, and concerning these bad figs [the Kenites].

Jesus stopped the commerce that was taking place within the Temple. Remember that the purpose of the money changers was to exchange the outside world currency into the money of the Temple, the half shekel which had to be paid on the fifteenth of the month by every Jew. The government of the people was a religious system, and the temple administered the taxes. The House of God, which was to be a house of prayer, had become the banking center and the means for the Kenites to center their commercial business.

Sweet Jesus is putting out some very tough love, and it is necessary for those that need it. This is the only true love that there is, for boldness can be tough love. If a teacher love those that he is teaching, he will bring it forth in the boldness of his teaching. Lying and deceiving the people isn't love, it is setting them up for a disaster.

Mark 11:16 "And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple."

Mark 11:17 "And He taught, saying unto them; "Is it not written, `My house shall be called of all nations a house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.' "

Jesus is asking these Kenites that he has just whipped and turned lose their mite infested birds a question from the Old Testament? Do you know that it is written that My house is a house of prayer? When you ask it in the form of a question, then they have to do a little thinking about the matter. It is written in Isaiah 56:7, and also in Jeremiah 7:11; "Is this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord."

They could not debate that point for it was a fact, and they knew it.

Mark 11:18 "And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him: for they feared Him because all the people was astonished at His doctrine."

These scribes and chief priests stood back and witnessed the entire thing, and the came together to plot to murder Christ. These nice religious leaders, the men of the cloth were the very ones that wanted to take Jesus' life. It is no different today as it was then, when you have the Word of God taught as it should, the religious leaders get a little nervous, for their traditions and their begging bag will come under attack.

Today these religious types band together to get a God fearing, bible teaching ministry thrown off the air. These types simply cannot stand up under the Word of God being taught boldly. God is still in control today as He was then for those that have the faith. The people were starting to listen to Jesus and His teaching, and it was showing up in their attendance, and in their begging bags. It was time to kill him, for that is the mind of a Kenite; to destroy that which you cannot control. They have the mind of their father Satan, so how do you know who they are? You test the fruit of their tree, and the fruit will identify them.

The scribes and the chief priests are the heads of the religious system of that time. The scribes were to keep the records, the law, and make sure that it did not become polluted. While the priests were to administer that law and ordinances within the temple and the teachers. When you test their fruit, you judge their characters. Were they honorable men? Absolutely not, they were plotters and murderers. They had murder in their heart and that is the fruit of what and who they are. You have inspected their fruit because they were planning Jesus death. That is their fruit; not to help the people, but to destroy any one that goes against their traditions. To destroy the messenger.

Mark 11:19 "And when even was come, He went out of the city."

Mark 11:20 "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."

Jesus did not cut the tree down, but God placed a curse on the bad fig tree. They shall never produce fruit but they shall always bring forth death. This parable is talking about the relationship between the fig tree, and the priesthood that was appointed by a Roman governor, and not God Himself. These Kenites had worked themselves into the temple, then elevated themselves to the highest positions coming out of captivity in Babylon. They have given our brother Judah a great deal of trouble. However Kenites are Kenites, and you can identify them by their fruit. Don't ever look at them any other way, unless one repents of his sins in Jesus name, then he ceases to be the tare in what he does. They will either accept Christ and eternal life, or they will die just as this fig tree withered away.

Mark 11:21 "And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto Him, "Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away." 

Though it was a mystery to Peter at this time, there is no great mystery to this. This is symbolic of the tares of the field of Matthew 13. It is symbolic of Satan himself and his ministers. Even though they don't know it now, but they are spiritually dead.

Mark 11:22 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, "Have faith in God."

This now is going into more deep teaching. God's Word is true, every part of it, and when you "have faith in God", you accept all parts of God's truth as absolute truth. Every thing that the Word has prophesied will come to pass exactly as it was written, and you and I have to accept that, or you simply do not have faith in God. What you are saying then, if you do not accept God's Word as truth is that God can't keep His Word, and in short, you are calling God a liar.

Everything pertaining to Jesus Christ's death on the cross and the time leading up to it was prophesied centuries prior. Just as it all came to pass exactly as foretold, so also will those things prophesied to our generation. If you start to substitute other traditions and false doctrine for God's Word, than you cease to have faith. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh to dwell amongst us. He is not a religion, but Christianity is a reality if you have faith in God.

Mark 11:23 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, `Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;' and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those thing which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

What is the subject here again? It is the Kenites, the bad figs, and the "mountain" spoken of here is the nation of the Kenites. "Doubt" is lack of faith, however if you have faith in God, then this applies to you. The fig tree is symbolic of the nation of the Kenites, so how can we say, "be though already removed"? Because Christ has already cursed that tree, that nation of the Kenites. It is dead, spiritually dead, only it will not be truly dead and gone until the appointed time. If you are a servant of the living God, wake up, for you have power and authority in Jesus Christ, over the enemy, and you don't have to worry about Satan and his little nation of Kenites.

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Remember, to believe is to have faith. A ministry that sets itself against the Kenite, Satan and his offspring, will always be blessed by the heavenly Father. God will bless you for doing it His way, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, building each precept upon itself. Stay in the Word of God, and believe it as God's Spirit reveals it to you.

Mark 11:25 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also Which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

We all will sin and fall short in our lives, but that is why we have forgiveness through our repentance in Jesus name. The reason that there is more problems dealing with forgiveness, is that people will forgive everyone else, but they refuse to forgive themselves after God has forgiven them. You must always forgive yourself as well or Satan will use your own gilt against you. As long as you are in your flesh body, you will fall short form time to time, and that is the time to ask forgiveness. Before you can forgive yourself, it requires you to be humble, for you will come to realize that you are not perfect.

Remember that it is God that must give you the strength and the wisdom to overcome the fig and Kenite, and to bring in the cleansing of the temple of the Heavenly Father. You become the temple of God when His Spirit dwells within you. This applies to all people, all races of those that by faith believe on His name and are His children. God's house is a house of prayer for all of God's children, so when you forgive, don't forget to forgive yourself.

Mark 11:26 "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father Which is in heaven forgive you trespasses." 

If you cannot bring yourself to humble yourself and to forgive yourself, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Sometimes Christians use this verse to turn themselves into second class citizens. This isn't talking about letting somebody run over you. It is in your heart and mind that you must forgive, however until the person that has been offended asks for your forgiveness, you do not have to verbally forgive them, to be qualified to have your prayers answered.

If somebody has wronged you, it is not for you to give your forgiveness to them until they have recognized it within their own mind. However, if it was you that wronged someone else, the forgiveness must come from your humble heart first, and then the request is made to the other person. When Christ forgave them that crucified Him while hanging on the cross, He did not give the forgiveness to the people that did the act, but to the Father. Their forgiveness must come from their own heart and minds when they understand the sin that they had committed. Your statement is to the Father for your forgiveness of them, not to the person that wronged you. The prayer is to the Father.

Jesus did not say to the Kenites that they were forgiven, but He spoke to the Father. You must understand this, for it will make a second class citizen out of you, if you feel that you must run whimpering to every Joe that steps on your toe. It wouldn't take long to turn you into a joke before the whole world. It is a matter between you and our Heavenly Father. You must be willing to move boldly before the enemies of God, yet you must show love towards them. Once a Kenite accepts Jesus Christ, he is no longer a Kenite son of Satan, but a child of the living God.

Mark 11:27 "And they come again to Jerusalem: and as He was walking in the temple, there come to Him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,"

We have the so-called cream of the crop of the religious community here, the men at the top of the heap.

Mark 11:28 "And say unto Him, "By what authority doest Thou these things? and who gave Thee this authority to do these things?"

"These things? Those things were throwing the money changers out of the temple, letting the mite infested birds go, and all the other cleaning up that Jesus did of the Temple of God. These so called religious leaders sat in the background as Jesus was doing all the cleaning up, and then they went into their circle to plot a way to kill him.

Now they are returning to Jesus and trying to trap him into saying something they can use against Him. I can just see these pompous old men in their long black robes and they approach our Lord Jesus Christ, and ask, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you the permission to do these things?" Of course the Son of God stood before them, and they were to stupid to know the authority that Jesus had. For all through all the miracles, the healing of the sick, the feeding of the multitude, and even bring the dead back to life, these spiritual idiots were blind to everything that was going on. They had the guile but the deceitful cunning craftiness to stand before God and ask Him where He gets His authority. It is like the clay on the potters wheel standing up and asking the potter what authority he had to work the clay.

Mark 11:29 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, "I will also ask of you one question, and answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things."

The reason that Christ taught by asking questions, was to make sure the person was thinking about what He would say. It takes a little effort to respond to the questions. Jesus said to these men, Before I tell you by what authority I have, first answer Me one Question.

Mark 11:30 "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer Me."

This puts these Scripture lawyers on the spot, for if they say that John the Baptist's authority was from heaven, than they would also have to say that Jesus authority was also from heaven.

Mark 11:31 "And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, `From heaven;' He will say, `Why then did ye not believe him?' "

This goes on a very deep level, for if they would say that John the Baptist's authority was from God, then the question that Jesus would ask is why did you not believe him. It goes into the fact that others claimed John to be Elias, or Elijah, and if John was Elias then he would be the forerunner of Christ. They would then have to identify who the Christ would be. If John came in the spirit of Elijah, then the Spirit of God would have to be in their presence also. These old religious fellows are having a real problem with Jesus question, for it is loaded with traps that would show their traditions for what they were.

Luke 1:16 "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

In as much as John would have come in the Spirit of Elijah, then these priests would have had to receive Christ also in that same Spirit. Jesus stated in Matthew 11 that had the people accepted John the Baptist in the Spirit of Elijah, then he would have been Elijah. But they did not, and John was not Elijah.

Mark 11:32 "But if we shall say, `Of men,' "They feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed."

John the Baptist was very well known and loved by the people. If they would have said that John was acting on his own authority, then these priests knew that they would have an uprising on their hands. When John was down at the river preaching and baptizing, even Herod himself liked to go down and hear him preach. Though Herod had problems when he was drunk that forced him to cut John's head off, when he was sober, John was held in high esteem by Herod.

Mark 11:33 "And they answered and said unto Jesus, "We cannot tell." And Jesus answering saith unto them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

The scribes and the Pharisees had completely documented all the things that Jesus had done, and by what authority that He had done them in. Jesus gave the Father the glory each time a man was healed, a sight was given, the bread was served and so on. There was no doubt in their minds were Jesus received his authority in their minds, but they did not want it stated publicly, for then they would have to deal with it openly. Jesus had touched the lives of thousands of people all over the kingdom, and they had heard Jesus Words and saw His works with their own eyes.

With all these supernatural events going on for the past three years, these men could not be to bright even to ask the question; "By what authority doest Thou these things? Who gave thee the authority to do these things?"

If you have been blessed with the truth of God's Word today, then plants those seeds of truths for His Word in the minds of others. You have the authority from the living God to do those things. When you are under the orders from God, than you answer to no man for the things that you say, but we are answerable to God for those things that we say. This is why it is necessary to study to know the truth before you speak, and when we speak with the authority of God, it had better be from God's Word. However, make sure it is His Word that you are teaching and not your own.